The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar True- crime doc
A little over a year ago, the photographer Jose Luis Cabezas was gunned down outside his home in Pinamar, Argentina. A new documentary by Benjamín Vildoso — The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar — paints a vivid portrait of the complex man who, for more than four decades, set out to document some of Latin America’s most intractable conflicts.
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Cabezas was born in the northern Argentine province of Entre Ríos but moved to Pinamar — a seaside beach resort in Buenos Aires province that is a playground for the city’s nouveau riche — as a child. In speaking with Vildoso, Cabezas reflects on his hometown but also discusses more prominent themes: of identity and belonging, of what it means to be an outsider and an exile, and of the need to overcome indifference and find beauty in the difficult places we reside.
The film is a powerful portrait of one of Latin America’s most essential and socially conscious photojournalists. Still, it’s also a study of the power of the moving image to capture the imagination and create empathy for our fellow man.
What is the Release date of The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar?
The release date is May 19.
The documentary tells the story of a photojournalist murdered in Pinamar, Argentina. Jose Luis Cabezas was born into a family with substantial wealth and social standing. His father was a successful businessman who owned vineyards and a large farm in Argentina’s wine country. But neither Jose Luis nor his family members had any interest in farming or business.
Who is the cast in The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar?
The documentary features interviews with Cabezas’ friends, colleagues, family, and acquaintances.
Vildoso is the director of “The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar.” He has directed or produced several award-winning documentaries, including “American Dream” (2012), which won the Audience Award at SXSW, and “A Textbook Case” (2012). A still from the film
Jose Luis Cabezas mentored a generation of journalists in Mexico, including photographer Héctor Ríos, who recalls meeting Cabezas for the first time in 1992. Rios says he was nervous about what Cabezas would think of his work.
What is the story of The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar?
Jose Luis Cabezas was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and moved to Pinamar at age two. He went on to become a noted photojournalist. Cabezas became the director of the School of Journalism and Photography at the University of Buenos Aires, where he taught hundreds of students how to tell stories with images.
Cabezas’ work as a photojournalist took him to some of the most dangerous places in the world, including El Salvador and Nicaragua during civil wars, to the Falkland Islands during a brief battle with Argentina, and along the Rio Grande during the peak of the drug wars in Mexico. He documented armed conflicts in Peru, Colombia, and Guatemala.
Cabezas was also a photo editor for major newspapers in Buenos Aires. He taught at other schools, including Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He worked on international assignments for Agence France-Presse, Getty Images, the Associated Press, and Getty Images, which he joined in 1971.
What are some reviews on The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar?
“Exhaustively researched, meticulously crafted, and captivatingly presented, “The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar” tells the story of a photographer for whom every image was a moment of truth. When you see the faces of war or torture and death, as you might in photographs by Ansel Adam or Robert Capa, Cabezas’ images are visual essays on the universal experience of human suffering. But his images often exist on another plane altogether…
“The Photographer: Murder in Pinamar” is another example of how Vildoso sets a high bar for the documentary form. He and his creative team have produced a lasting documentary that is a memorial to one of Argentina’s most outstanding photojournalists and exemplars of the human spirit.”
